Best day trips from Rio

Paraty – Famous for its colorful and splendidly preserved colonial architecture, the town of Paraty is a flashback to 17th-century Brazil.

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No cars allowed – Paraty's beautiful colonial architecture and streets remain well-preserved. No cars are allowed on the cobblestone streets.

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Festival central – Paraty's vibrant festival season runs from late spring to early summer. The annual Bloco da Lama or Mud Block carnival (pictured) sees participants dress up with rags, skulls and bones and dive into the mud.

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Ilha Grande – On this tropical island where cars are banned it's not uncommon to hear of travelers who, intending to spend a day or two, changed their minds and decided to stay a week or more.

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Atlantic Forest – Ilha Grande is a great place to see Brazil's Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlantica), a World Biosphere Reserve that's home to many endangered species.

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Buzios – Buzios became popular with the jet set in the 1960s when Brigitte Bardot became a regular at what was then a small fishing village. Geriba, pictured here, is the most popular surf spot.

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Beach playground – Accommodations on Buzios range from high end Casas Brancas (in this photo) to budget pousadas such as Vila Pitanga.

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Story highlights

No cars are allowed on the tropical island of Ilha Grande

Colonial town of Paraty is famous for colorful and well preserved colonial architecture

Buzios offers a bevy of choice beaches and nightlife options

(CNN)From waterfalls in a forest to the beach haunts of movie stars, a number of scenic day trips are just a few hours' journey from Rio de Janeiro.

Introducing three of the most popular day trips from the city: the tropical island of Ilha Grande, the splendidly preserved 17th-century colonial town of Paraty and the fishing-village-turned-beach-hotspot of Buzios.

Ilha Grande

With its hiking trails and isolated beaches, this tropical island and former pirate roost makes for a perfect downshift from the buzz of Rio.

Its dense forests have changed little since it served as a base for smugglers and adventurers a few centuries ago.

A two-and-a-half hour trip from Rio, the tiny hamlet's business these days is ecotourism.

Prior to that it was a fishing port and the site of a prison torn down in the 1950s.

Cars are banned on the island and the focus is on human-powered transit -- hiking, kayaking, swimming.

Boats and schooners can be rented for trips to several superb beaches on the island.

Trails spanning 150 kilometers wend through forests that are home to a number of endangered species, from the maned sloth to the brown howler monkey.

The trail to one of the peaks on the island, Pico do Papagaio, offers a rare, close look at what remains of an Atlantic Forest.

The island's most popular beach, Lopes Mendes, turns up regularly on roundups of top Brazilian beaches. Getting there requires a taking a boat or schooner to a 20-minute trail through the jungle.

Other beautiful beaches to check out include Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde.

The official Ilha Grande website has information on transportation, accommodations, tours and services.